Sgt. John Gotterup says he was just doing his job.

But he did his job so well that it earned him a nomination and a win of the Supervisor of the Year Award at the 16th annual Virginia Association of Regional Jails Conference in April.

Gotterup said it was surprising to earn the award but added he was honored to receive it.

“It is humbling to be recognized with this award,” he said.

Jail Superintendent William Smith said Gotterup has been instrumental in several investigations that stopped contraband from entering the jail.

Gotterup said it was a matter of getting inmates to trust him enough to reveal information.

“Trust in a jail environment is something that comes very slowly, if at all,” he said. “One of the inmates came forward and said, ‘I think I have a handle on how it’s happening.’”

Gotterup said the person on the outside — who was not a jail employee — was caught, and the avenue she had used was plugged up.

Contraband in the jail — especially when it involves smoking materials or drugs — is a major concern, Gotterup said.

“A fire in the jail is of paramount concern,” he said. “And you obviously don’t want any drugs.”

Gotterup had a career in the military before coming to work at the jail. He looked around for an organization where he could put his military-learned skills to work and found the jail.

When he first started 16 years ago, the majority of the officers were former military, he said.

“It was kind of like being with family.”

He’s on the night shift, from 6:30 p.m. to 6:30 a.m., but said he enjoys the late hours.

But while most people assume he has it easy because the inmates sleep during those hours, it’s not the case, he said.

“There’s a lot of activity still going on,” he said. “It’s a rare night when most people lie down and go to sleep. What it does happen, it’s remarked upon by the officers.”

Gotterup said the officers have to develop a “sixth sense” for when things don’t feel right with inmates, which would include those rare nights when they all go to sleep.

“You get used to how people interact with each other,” he said. “When it’s different, you’ve got to pay attention.”

Plenty of other activity goes on during his shift, though — visitation during the first few hours of the night shift, followed by most of the cleaning of the jail, people being processed in and out of the jail, some attorney visits, medical visits and more.

“These are the things that we focus on on a nightly basis,” he said.

Superintendent Smith said he was proud of Gotterup.

“We are very proud that a member of our staff was selected over all the other nominees from the regional jails in Virginia,” he said.